Medicare Pays Millions to Fraudulent Billers

A recent congressional investigation discovered that CMS paid nearly 500,000 fraudulent claims. Between 2000 and 2007, CMS "reimbursed" numerous medical equipment providers who used dead doctors' Medicare numbers to write prescriptions and order equipment.

The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations estimates that somewhere between $60 million and $92 million was lost to fraud.

Per a statement made by Herb B. Kuhn, CMS's deputy director, CMS has taken steps to implement policy changes and new procedures so that invalid or inactive PIN's are not used by unscrupulous DME providers in the future.